By Erik Gudris | @ATNTennis | Wednesday, August 31, 2022
Former US Open champion Andy Murray and former semifinalist Matteo Berrettini will collide in a marquee US Open third-round encounter.
Photo credit: Getty
The US Open is a place where dreams are made.
For two men looking to create more Major magic in their careers, they will now have to face each other to turn those dreams into reality.
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Former World No. 1 and US Open champion Andy Murray finds himself awaiting last year’s Wimbledon finalist and No. 13 seed Matteo Berrettini in the US Open third round.
Murray battled past USA’s own Emilio Nava 5-7,6-3,6-1, 6-0 to reach the next round.
The 20-year-old Nava grinded his way to take the opening set after almost 90 minutes. Yet the former 2012 US Open winner Murray began to dissect Nava’s game down the stretch on his way to victory.
Murray won 14 out of the last 15 games to reach the US Open third round for the first time in six years.
“I think I started to take the ball on a little bit more,” Murray said after the match. “He was dictating a lot of the points in the first set. Once I started to hit the ball a little bit bigger, a little bit deeper, I was then able to control the points more.”
Murray has struggled during the North American summer hard court season with his fitness as he won only one out of four matches coming into New York. Yet he now feels much better at the last Major of the year. When and if Murray will decide to eventually call time on his career is something he’s not ready for just yet.
“There’s been times this year where I’ve not felt amazing in terms where my game has been at but also have been sure of myself that I can compete with the best players. I don’t know when that time will come, not setting a date or timeframe on that, but I will make a decision when I’m ready.”
Murray will next face Italy’s Berrettini for a place in the fourth round.
Berrettini booked his place into the third round with a 2-6, 6-1, 7-6(4),7-6(7) win over France’s Hugo Grenier.
Berrettini, who reached the US Open semifinals in 2019, racked up 79 winners to just 30 from Grenier in his three hour and 25 minute match.
Murray reflected on the upcoming match with the powerful Italian who he lost to in Stuttgart earlier in the year.
“Obviously played him earlier in the year in Stuttgart it was a really tight match," Murray said. "He’s been very unlucky this year, and spoke about it on the court, he got Covid at Wimbledon having won the two lead up tournaments.
"He’s been on top of the game for a number of years. He’s very consistent and he’s a big server which makes him difficult to break and I think he’s a very good competitor so it’s not going to be easy.”